


Of Cats and Dogs

by resonae



Series: Cats and Dogs [3]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Animal Ears, Fluff, M/M, Mpreg, Tails
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-29
Updated: 2013-09-29
Packaged: 2017-12-28 00:16:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/985340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/resonae/pseuds/resonae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part of my Cat!Chuck and Dog!Raleigh verse. The road of pregnancy is full of potholes, but it's worth it in the end.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Cats and Dogs

**Author's Note:**

> Posted in a separate work instead of in the drabbles because it became long and I needed the Mpreg warning anyway. I got like three prompts asking for this, so here it is.

Mako looks concerned as Chuck slumps against the table, looking exhausted. “This is four days in a row now that you are not able to keep your breakfast down. You must see a doctor, Chuck.”

 

Chuck buries his head in his arms and groans. His tail is drooping and even his ears are sagging down. “All right,” Raleigh says, shoveling all of the leftover food on his plate to Max. He’s got no appetite when Chuck is feeling so miserable. “Mako, take care of Max for a bit? I’m gonna take Chuck to see a doctor.”

 

Mako nods, pats Chuck on the head comfortingly, and says, “If Marshal Hansen was here, he would probably yell at you for letting Chuck get so bad.”

 

Raleigh winces and thanks whatever deity’s up there that Herc’s off to Anchorage for a PPDC business trip.

 

\--

 

“Hmm,” the in-dome doctor says, which is not reassuring at all. Chuck is slumped over his chair, cheeks sunken. “Hmm.”

 

“ _What_.” Chuck tries to snap, except he sounds so tired that it doesn’t even work.

 

“I need to run a few more tests to be sure,” the doctor tells them, apparently unfazed by Chuck’s bravado. “But I think you’re pregnant.”

 

There’s silence in the room for about thirty seconds. Raleigh blinks. “I think I need my hearing checked. Because I thought you said that Chuck’s…. pregnant.”

 

The doctor raises an eyebrow at them. “Yeah, that’s what I said. I’m fairly sure. The symptoms are there and the hormone levels match up.”

 

Because Chuck is still staring mutely, Raleigh says, “But Chuck’s a _guy_.”

 

The doctor stares, and then groans. “Ugh. I forgot they don’t get into reproduction in Jaeger academies. There are quite a few male species that can get pregnant. The domestic cat is one of them. I mean, this was all pretty recently discovered, so it’s not common knowledge, but most kids get the teaching in school. Except you two went to Jaeger schools, which sort of skips over the specifics.”

 

Chuck finally finds his voice. “You’re kidding.”

 

“Uh… no. I’m just gonna do a little more to check, but it looks like you’re about five weeks along.” Chuck stares. His eyes then roll back, and Raleigh jumps up to catch him before he topples backward. The doctor sighs. “Can fight giant monsters, but can’t handle the news of being pregnant. But, Raleigh… How are you planning to tell Herc?”

 

Raleigh stares at the unconscious feline in his arms and wishes he could join Chuck in his unconsciousness.

 

\--

 

“Dad.” Chuck hisses over the phone. “You need to get back here. _Right now_.” Raleigh doesn’t hear what Herc’s saying on the other end, but he can hear his worried tone. He doesn’t even want to think about what Herc might do to him once he finds out he got Chuck knocked up. “Yes. _It’s an emergency_. Come home.”

 

Raleigh figures he should pick a deity and start praying.

 

\--

 

“You don’t _look_ hurt.” Herc says, almost disapproving as he scans Chuck up and down, stepping off the plane. “Chuck, this better not have been a joke. That was an important meeting I was at.”

 

“I’m pregnant.”

 

“Chuck, I _told_ you no-“

 

Chuck stares, and Herc goes silent. “I’m not joking, old man. Congratulations. You’re gonna be a grandpa.”

 

An hour and a visit to the doctor’s later, Herc drags Raleigh to the Kwoon and proceeds to show him all the different ways to cause pain.

 

\--

 

“On the bright side,” Mako points out, standing in the doorway with a cup of cool water as Chuck hurls into the toilet, Raleigh holding him as best as he can. “At least you know what is happening.”

 

Chuck has extremely bad morning sicknesses. The doctor had winced in sympathy when Raleigh had hauled Chuck to the infirmary, thinking there must have been something was wrong. They’d been told, “It’s normal. Chuck’s definitely one of the worse ones, but not the worst I’ve seen.”

 

Chuck can’t eat anything they serve in the mess hall (Newt had pointed out, “Just goes to show you the crap they’re feeding us. We need mutiny!”), so Raleigh and Herc has special meals delivered every single day for him. Chuck’s able to stomach some of it, but most of it came back up a few hours later when he smelled something.

 

Almost everyone in the Shatterdome is excited for the baby. Sure, the kaiju are gone, and restoration is slow but steady, but this is the first sign of a real new start they’ve had in the Shatterdome. Newt is one of the more incredibly excited ones, but Chuck is absolutely forbidden around Newt when he’s being digging around Kaiju parts, so Newt happily goes through a decontamination shower every day so he can see Chuck and the non-existent baby bump. Sometimes, Raleigh comes back from a briefing he’d had and finds Newt religiously waiting on Chuck hand and foot, not even letting him get up, his tail wagging furiously.

 

Hermann and Tendo are just as excited for the baby, though they don’t show it that often. Hermann’s the one who keeps slipping Chuck warm water bottles whenever his back starts hurting, and Tendo keeps trying to teach Raleigh how to be a good dad. The hundreds of pregnancy books that Raleigh now owns is from Tendo, and Raleigh catches Tendo reading through one himself all the time.

 

In the end, though, the person who’s the most undoubtedly happy about the new addition to the Shatterdome family (sans Raleigh) is Herc. After his initial freak-out, Herc can’t get enough of the fact that he’s going to be a grandpa. He constantly dotes on Chuck, confining him to bed until the doctor tells Herc that’s really not necessary. Even now, he’s hovering nearby, Marshal duties apparently forgotten as his son pukes out his guts.

 

Chuck whimpers as he collapses, sliding down to the floor. Raleigh catches him midway to pull him into his embrace instead. “I don’t want to be pregnant.” Chuck whispers, and Raleigh rubs his cheeks. Chuck is the person least happy and the most happy with his pregnancy at the same time. Raleigh catches him staring at his stomach in awe sometimes, but times like this when the nausea gets so bad Chuck can’t even stand, Chuck will even start crying and then start throwing things.

 

Hormones, the doctor had explained.

 

Raleigh can deal with random furniture getting thrown around. He’s Chuck-proofed most of his and Chuck’s room, keeping the lamp and other breakable items out of reach from the bed. When things break, he sweeps the pieces and replaces it. No problem.

 

He has no idea what to do when Chuck starts crying. And Chuck doesn’t sob daintily like a broken-hearted princess. He bawls like a child who’s lost the world, taking Raleigh’s heart, stamping on it and shredding it into pieces. He cries until he’s exhausted himself, and Raleigh feels even worse.

 

To Raleigh’s (and Herc’s) utter horror, Chuck starts bawling. He buries his face into Raleigh’s chest, grabs clumsily at Raleigh’s sides and starts sobbing into Raleigh’s shirt. His tail is droopy, his ears and slanted downward and Raleigh tries to rub him behind the ears, but Chuck shakes his hand away, just keeps crying.

 

Raleigh looks up for help. Herc looks just as brokenhearted as he is, and tries to glare at Raleigh in a _fix-this-right-now_ look before he clumsily pats his son’s back.

 

Mako, thank _god_ for Mako, kneels, massages a soothing hand on Chuck’s neck, and offers him cool water. Chuck’s sobs die down to sniffles after a bit and he takes the cup, sipping through his hiccups. “I don’t want to be pregnant.” He mumbles again. “Fuck you for making me pregnant.” He tries to punch Raleigh, except he’s too exhausted to make it really work.

 

“Watch your mouth, boy.” Herc says, ruffling his hair and standing up. “That’s my grandkid you’re talking about.” He checks his watch and winces. “I gotta run, Chuck. I’ll see you for dinner, yeah?”

 

Chuck nods, too tired to even say anything. Raleigh picks him up gingerly, sliding an arm below his knees and another around his shoulders. Chuck would’ve protested usually, but he just lets his head fall onto Raleigh’s shoulders, groaning. Mako keeps rubbing a soothing hand at the base of his skull to the bed, and only takes her hand away when Raleigh lets Chuck down on it.

 

“I hate you.” Chuck mutters again when Raleigh sits at the edge, stroking his sweat-damp hair.

 

Raleigh smiles and presses a kiss to Chuck’s head. “I know.” He snuggles up against him, waving in gratitude to Mako as she leaves glass and the pitcher near their bedside table (on Raleigh’s side, so Chuck can’t throw it if he get in one of his fits).

 

Chuck shifts onto his side and buries his face in Raleigh’s shoulder. “I don’t actually hate you, idiot.”

 

Raleigh can’t help but laugh because Chuck _would_ be so adorable. His mood swings give Chuck really bad temper tantrums, but also makes him more affectionate. “I _know_. I love you, too, Chuck.” He reaches around to rub at Chuck’s sides until he feels Chuck’s tail start swinging under the blankets, sweeping arcs on their mattress. He shifts a little to see Chuck’s eyes fluttering shut. “Go to sleep.”

 

“Don’t leave.” Chuck says, his voice soft. Raleigh smiles and wraps an arm around Chuck’s stomach, catching the sweeping tail lightly in his fingers.

 

“I won’t.”

 

\--

 

Chuck looks exponentially better after his nap. In their well-ventilated room, without all the random food smells wafting in, he finishes all of his lunch, and Raleigh considers making him stay in the room. He has his head resting on Chuck’s thigh, reading through one of the _many_ books that Tendo had plopped on his lap to study how to be a good husband during a pregnancy.

 

Apparently Chuck has similar plans of staying inside because he drapes his hand over Raleigh’s eyes after he’s done with his plate and says, “I’m horny.”

 

Raleigh laughs and pulls Chuck’s hand down to kiss the pads of his fingers. “I can fix that.” He tugs Chuck down, ruffling the hair between his ears, perky and happy again with food inside him and no nausea. He sits up, careful not to hit Chuck’s chin on the way, and presses little kisses to Chuck’s jawline. “Lie down?”

 

Chuck goes down easily, letting Raleigh undress him. Raleigh feels filthy, being completely dressed as he undresses Chuck, and apparently Chuck feels the same, judging by the unabashed grin he gets. Raleigh rests his head and traces Chuck’s flat stomach. At 7 weeks, Chuck’s not showing at all, and according to their doctor, since it’s Chuck’s first time, he won’t have what the expected huge baby bump even at 9 months (to Chuck’s extreme relief). But knowing there’s a _life_ under the muscles makes Raleigh grin like an idiot as he bows his head to kiss a line down to his navel.

 

“Lean back?” Raleigh asks, pushing his hands under Chuck’s hips to help him. Chuck hums lightly as Raleigh mouths a line from his navel down to his hip bones. He takes Chuck’s interested cock into his mouth, sucking on the head until Chuck mewls and bucks his hips up. Raleigh takes his lips off for long enough to dig the lube from the bedside table but short enough so the Chuck doesn’t start complaining, and works lube onto his fingers as he sucks.

 

He starts going down further down the shaft as he slides a finger into the ring of muscle just below, and Chuck starts to purr, gripping his hands through Raleigh’s hair. “You like that, baby?” Chuck just shoves Raleigh’s head down in response, and Raleigh laughs. He sucks harder and adds a second finger along to the first, rubbing unrelentingly across the gland he’s long ago memorized the place of. Chuck’s purrs get higher in volume and _fuck_ that’s so beautiful.

 

He slides a third finger along, and it’s so arousing that Chuck takes him so easily now, compared to their first time, and Raleigh sucks so hard his cheeks hollow and presses hard down on the mound, making Chuck purr.

 

Raleigh swallows just because, but then Chuck curls up, gripping Raleigh’s hand. “What’s wrong?” Raleigh says, scrambling up. “Does it hurt?”

 

“Cramps.” Chuck says, through clenched teeth. “Ow. _Ow_.” Raleigh’s scrambling up to get clothes on so he can go run to the doctor, but Chuck’s grip on his hand loosens. “Okay, that’s – I’m okay now.” He says, wincing as he pokes at his stomach. “What was that?”

 

Raleigh grabs one of the books and starts looking through the ‘sex during pregnancy’ section as Chuck pours himself a cup of water. “Okay, it says… cramps are normal after orgasm, unless they don’t fade after a few moments. You’re – you’re sure it’s gone?”

 

Chuck rolls his eyes, opening another book. It says the same, as well as the rest of the books they go through. “Yeah, looks like I’m good. But uh.. could we go to the doctor? Just in case.”

 

\--

 

“Oh. You got cramps after you had an orgasm?” The doctor holds the stethoscope to Chuck’s stomach. “That happens. You’re 100% sure it’s gone now, though?” Chuck nods, still looking a little worried. “It’s fine, Chuck. You’re fine, and the baby’s fine.” She raises an eyebrow. “You know, a lot of people think sex during pregnancy can harm the baby somehow, but the baby’s safe unless you’re feeling pain yourself, and even then, the baby’s still probably safe. One thing, though, is that once you start getting bigger, sex is gonna take a strain on your back, so just keep that in mind.”

 

“Talking sex with your doctor is _really_ weird.” Chuck grumbles. “But… uh. It’s okay?”

 

The doctor rolls her eyes, looking fondly exasperated. “Yes, the baby is fine. You can go back and roll around in bed all you want.”

 

\--

 

They don’t go back to bed after that, because Chuck gets restless and he wants to walk around instead. Hong Kong, still contaminated with Kaiju Blue, is off-limits to Chuck. He’s confined (by their doctor, Herc, Raleigh, and himself) within the walls of the Shatterdome.

 

Naturally, and understandably, it drives Chuck insane. He tries not to make a fuss about it, but Raleigh can see him getting jittery and stressed out. “I was thinking,” Raleigh tells Herc one day, after Chuck wears himself out seething and throwing everything he can grab, “that Chuck and I move to Australia.” Herc pauses in his movements, and Raleigh continues cautiously. “Chuck really needs to be outside. He needs fresh air, and he’s not getting any here, in Hong Kong. I was thinking we can settle a little inland.”

 

Herc says nothing for a while, and then sighs after a tense silence. “.. I was thinking the same.”

 

\--

 

Chuck refuses. “No way.” He says, sulking and stabbing the food on his specially delivered plate. “I’m not going to be that far away from my old man.”

 

Herc looks so touched he might cry, but he quickly pulls a stern face. “It’s for your own good. And for your baby. And Raleigh. You’re driving him nuts with these temper tantrums of yours.

 

Chuck’s face shutters. “So you’re sending me away.”

 

Herc reels. “What? No, I’m not sending you away. I’d _like_ to keep you here, but it’s not looking good for your health, kid.”

 

“Well, why can’t I go inland China, then?” Herc stares. Raleigh stares. Chuck stares back. “That way I can still stay close enough for everyone to come visit.”

 

Herc sounds cautious. “I thought you’d want to go back to Australia.”

 

Chuck makes a face. “Not with everyone else here. Not with _you_ still here. For fuck’s sake, old man, you know you couldn’t survive without me.” What Chuck really means is _I can’t survive without you_ , and everyone knows it. So Herc grins, ruffles his son’s hair, and just nods.

 

\--

 

Herc and Raleigh spend the next week digging for the closest un-contaminated land. Newt and Hermann usually tag along to do all their measurements to make sure themselves. At one point, a salesman tries to sell them ‘uncontaminated’ land that Newt and Hermann measure to be contaminated.

 

“You know,” Herc says. “It’s a good thing that you’re sure this land is uncontaminated. Because if it was, you’d have one of the heroes who saved the world drinking contaminated water when he’s pregnant with a baby. It’d be a pity if results came out and this land _was_ contaminated, because who knows what would happen to you, if something went wrong with the baby of 2 heroes because you sold them contaminated land?”

 

The salesman withdraws his offer in a flash and offers them a second plot of land. More inland, but bigger, nicer. Newt and Hermann spend a week on it making sure nothing’s contaminated, and when Chuck sees it, he’s all grins. It’s a two hour drive from the Hong Kong Shatterdome, meaning Herc will be coming in every weekend along with the rest of the crew.

 

At Mako’s suggestion, Raleigh and Chuck start a garden in the back yard so they can grow their food instead of buying it. It gives Chuck something to do since he’s forbidden from a lot of other work around the house, and their vast yard means Chuck can take a stroll without Raleigh. Max always tags along, but Raleigh knows even they need moments to themselves, so Raleigh lets Chuck go on his afternoon strolls by himself as he busies himself with the nursery, painting and building while Chuck’s out.

 

Chuck’s tantrums disappear. He still has mood swings like no other – he’ll cry at the drop of a pin, start seething when Raleigh spills the salt, and start grinning like he needs nothing else when he’s in a bath, but there’s no more throwing furniture.

 

The fresh air also does loads for his nausea. He still bolts to the bathroom once or twice a day, but he’s not stuck in the bathroom bent over the toilet bowl for most of the day. He also starts craving random food now that his nausea is weaning, so Raleigh finds himself driving back and forth to the nearest town often during the day.

 

Most exciting of all (to Raleigh), Chuck develops a baby bump. Neither of them had really noticed until Chuck tried to pull his jeans on one day and it wouldn’t buckle. Chuck had been horrified, but Raleigh had almost started throwing confetti when he realized that Chuck’s midsection _was_ rounder. Chuck starts grudgingly wearing sweatpants, which makes him depressed for a while until Mako comes around with organic ice cream.

 

“You are so attractive right now,” Raleigh growls to him in bed one day. “You don’t even know what kind of effect you’re having on me.” Chuck just laughs breathlessly as Raleigh tugs on his tail. “I love you, Chuck.”

 

Chuck purrs at him and his eyes are warm, which is as good of an answer as it gets.

 

\--

 

Their doctor, since she can’t go away for hours at a time, recommends them a tall, Chinese doctor. “Best in the field,” she promises Herc and Raleigh. “He’s a legend in the male pregnancy field, I promise.”

 

The doctor – Dr. Kwok – actually doesn’t have an office in Hong Kong. He’s under a 15 minute drive (if Raleigh’s speeding, it’s 10, not that he’d speed with a pregnant Chuck in the car), and he promises to put Chuck and Raleigh first anytime they come in.

 

When they reach the 16th week and he tells them, “We can do your first ultrasound today,” Raleigh is almost faints in excitement. Chuck looks anxious as he lies down. “It’s going to be a little cold.” The doctor warns, and slathers the gel onto Chuck’s slightly-more visible bump.

 

Chuck winces, and shifts, like he’s uncomfortable, but then the monitor flickers to life, and they both gasp. “Oh.” Chuck says, sitting up a little. The picture shifts when he does, and he lies back down – it moves again. “Oh.”

 

Raleigh, for one, is speechless. He grips Chuck’s hand, and the doctor smiles at them. “I can see the gender, if you want to know.” They both nod. “She’s a little girl. Too early to know yet if she’s a dog or a cat. They look pretty similar at this stage.”

 

“We’re having a little girl.” Raleigh says, touching the screen. “Can we – we can get a print of this, right?”

 

The doctor smiles. “Of course. How many do you want?”

 

\--

 

Raleigh stands at the door with pictures, which Herc snatches out of his hands. A grin Herc will forever deny having spreads across his face, and the pictures get passed around to Tendo, to Hermann, to Newt, and then to Mako.

 

After a while, Herc says, “A girl that’s half Hansen and half Becket.” He looks like he’s going to swoon and he can’t keep the grin off his face. “She’s going to be a right chaos. Do we know yet if she’s dog or cat?”

 

“Doc said too early to tell.” Chuck shrugs. He’s trying to look nonchalant about the entire thing, but Raleigh doesn’t miss the way he keeps holding his stomach and looking down in awe. He’s unpacking the things the others carried in hands full of shopping bags. “For fuck’s sakes, old man. This entire bag is _pink_.”

 

Herc narrows his eyes. “Stop cursing, she can hear you. And the other bag is blue.”

 

There are bags filled with every color of the spectrum. Newt keeps going on about how old she’ll be come next Spring, next Summer, next Fall, next Winter, and keeps shoving an endless flow of baby dresses his way. Mako is a little more practical and she’s bought mostly onesies, although she’s bought them in every color that Raleigh can name.

 

Chuck stares at the growing piles of colorful clothes. “We’re never going to need to go shopping for baby clothes. Ever.”

 

Hermann, thankfully, doesn’t have clothes. Instead, he shows them stuffed animals upon stuffed animals. There are elephants, kangaroos, koalas, tigers, lions, dogs, bears, horses (and unicorns), dinosaurs, and just every single animal on the planet.

 

“Guys.” Raleigh laughs. “I get you’re all excited. And we’re grateful, really. But still, this is way too much.”

 

“Oh, this isn’t even the beginning.” Newt coos at the ultrasound. “Uncle Newt is gonna spoil you _rotten_ , princess.”

 

\--

 

Thankfully, a few weeks after that, Chuck’s morning sickness gets a _lot_ better. He still gets nauseous whenever someone starts cooking something that smells a little strong, but he’s not throwing up his entire meals just because someone’s scrambling eggs.

 

Also, Chuck is glowing. He looks so gorgeous that Raleigh literally cannot stand himself. Now that Chuck’s bump is a little more prominent, they figure out new positions to work with. Chuck doesn’t want rough sex like he used to thirst for, he’s more into the slow, gentle ones. Tendo actually _has_ a book titled ‘Sex Positions While Pregnant’, and Chuck and Raleigh spend days pouring over that before they decide they just like spooning the best.

 

Also, Chuck starts getting incredibly sensitive and tender everywhere. Raleigh would be only barely exaggerating if he could make Chuck come just through squeezing his tail. But that sensitivity means Chuck is also getting rashes to anything that’s not 100% cotton, and his chest gets so tender that he whimpers when Raleigh just touches it. His back starts hurting more and more often, and he’s running to the bathroom frequently – this time not to puke, but to answer nature’s call.

 

Thankfully, there’s a solution to Chuck’s soreness. Their doctor suggests a heating pad for his back aches, and teaches Raleigh how to massage Chuck’s chest so he can get the milk circulating.

 

“Milk.” Chuck repeats, staring.

 

The doctor nods. “Of course. You are beginning to form mammary glands. You’ll start lactating soon, most male cats start around the 25 week mark, so it’s really quite important that Raleigh learn well to make sure the milk doesn’t build up.”

 

“Why am I producing _milk_?”

 

Thankfully, Dr. Kwok has been informed by their on-base doctor that Chuck and Raleigh had no idea about male pregnancies (and that Chuck could be crude when it came down to it), and he explained patiently. “You are a mammal, Chuck. Therefore you will nurse your offspring. Or you’ll have the option to, anyway. Whether you do so or not is your choice, of course, but your body will prepare itself.”

 

So Raleigh learns the exercise, and Chuck looks horrified the entire time. But when they get home, Chuck’s so tender he can’t even stand the fan. “Come on, Chuck. Let’s try it. You didn’t mind me playing with you there when we were fucking.”

 

Chuck snaps, “Yeah, because that’s foreplay. Or something. This – this is just _weird_.”

 

“It’s normal.” Raleigh smiles, and rubs Chuck’s ears until he’s relaxed. “Come on. I’ll stop right away if it feels bad.”

  
Chuck grumbles, “I’m worried that it _won’t_ feel bad.” All the same, he lies on his back and lets Raleigh push his shirt up. Raleigh works his fingers gently on the skin, using the pads of his fingers to rub around the slightly swollen breasts.

 

Chuck relaxes visibly after a few minutes, sighing contently. But he’s not purring up a motor yet, so Raleigh continues, shifting but ever so careful of his stomach. It’s about 10 or so minutes of soft rubbing that Chuck starts to purr low in his throat.

 

The purr never fails to amaze him. It doesn’t seem like something Chuck can control, just comes out whenever he’s incredibly happy. Raleigh grins. “Feel good?” Chuck purrs in response, and Raleigh can feel the vibrations through his fingers. Raleigh only stops because his fingers are getting numb, but Chuck looks content and he’s no longer so sensitive that he can’t even pull a blanket up. “Hey.” Raleigh says, watching as Chuck stretches, every muscle in his body liquid grace. “I love you.”

 

Chuck grins lazily at him, sighing contently as he relaxes from the stretch. “I love you, too.”

 

When Chuck starts lactating, he’s horrified, but Raleigh thinks it just makes Chuck even more attractive.

 

\--

 

Everyone else is at the Shatterdome, meaning Raleigh and Chuck are trying to figure out dimensions for the baby crib Raleigh’s adamant about making himself. Chuck is trying to mark the pieces of wood at equal lengths when he freezes and drops the ruler.

 

Raleigh looks up, alarmed. “What’s wrong?” He rushes over to Chuck, and Chuck stares down at his stomach.

 

Raleigh’s fearing the worst when Chuck says, his voice soft, “I just – Oh my god.” He says, sinking to his knees. “She – I _swear_ she kicked.” That makes Raleigh stiffen, and Chuck tugs Raleigh’s hand over to slide beneath his sweater. Raleigh spreads his hands on the taut skin, and he’s trembling with anticipation when he feels a bump on the palm of his hand. When he looks up, Chuck’s grinning. “Yeah, she’s kicking.”

 

Raleigh gives up on the crib for now and carries Chuck over to the bed so they can snuggle and feel the baby kick toward her parents. She’s insistent, moving energetically under Raleigh’s palm, and Chuck laughs. “She’s gonna be a soccer player when she grows up, or something.”

 

\--

 

Pregnancy makes Chuck not only more horny (which Raleigh is going to sorely miss once their baby’s born), but also a lot more mellow and affectionate. Even though he’s well into his 25th week, his baby bump is barely visible. If he pulls Raleigh’s sweater over himself, which isn’t even that loose, no one will even know he’s pregnant. It’d made everyone worried until Dr. Kwok had assured them this was entirely normal, especially for first-time pregnancies. He tells them (and then Herc and Mako and Newt and Tendo and Hermann), “She is doing fine. Perfectly falls in the average size for her age.”

 

He also assures them Chuck is healthy, even though he gets all achy often when he moves too much. “That’s normal, too. You may not _look_ like you’re carrying a baby, but you are. And your body wants you to be careful. Exercise is okay, but not too much.”

 

The movement restriction annoys Chuck a little, but he’s been noticeably careful since they got their first ultrasound. Still, Mako accompanies him on every walk that he goes on while Newt and Raleigh put finishing touches on their nursery.

 

The nursery is a soft, barely-there lavender. Newt had wanted pink, but Mako had argued that it was gender-biased, so they settled on the in-between because apparently the actual parents of the child had no say. (Newt had complained that he’d want it painted pink even if it was a boy). Raleigh had built the crib himself under Hermann’s incredibly critical eye and had painted it white, and it sits in the corner, filled with Hermann’s stuffed animals.

 

Mako, since she’s talented with everything, had painted little pastel flowers and animals onto the walls. Tendo had thought it would be funny to draw in a Kaiju, so a blue Kaiju that was way too cute for the monstrosity it caused sat at the end of the row of animals painted onto the walls.

 

“It is done,” Mako says, painting the last part of the giraffe.

 

“Now all we need is the baby.” Tendo sighs. “Who’d have imagined you and Chuck would have a _kid_?”

 

\--

 

At 28 weeks, Chuck gets his first Braxton-Hicks, although they won’t know it’s a false contraction until later.

 

It’s during dinner and it throws every single person in the house into panic, _including_ Mako, who has the doctor on the phone immediately. Chuck was in so much pain that he had just crumbled downward from where he’d been sitting, and by the time the doctor gets there he’s had another one.

 

If they had Herc nearby, Raleigh thinks they would’ve panicked less, as he has experience with pregnancy and he’d have known. But this is the one time Herc _isn’t_ present and away at a PPDC meeting, so everyone’s convinced Chuck is giving birth prematurely.

 

The doctor comes, looks over Chuck with a serious face, and then smiles. “It’s a Braxton-Hicks.” He pats Chuck’s hand. “Don’t worry, you’re not in labor.” All of them almost crumble in relief as the doctor explains to Chuck what a Braxton-Hicks contraction feels like. “You won’t feel them so often, not yet. There’s nothing that suggests that she’s coming early. She’s healthy, you’re healthy, both of you are fine. So most likely, before our scheduled date, you’re having a Braxton-Hicks. Hot water bottles help,” he nods at the bottles Hermann had shoved at Chuck. “If you have more than 4 in an hour, call me. But otherwise you are fine. The baby is fine.”

 

Raleigh calls Herc after that, who laughs at Raleigh. [I did the same thing you did when Angela had her first one when she was with Chuck. Part of becoming a father, mate.]

 

Raleigh’s willing to bet Herc would have panicked at least a _little_ when his son went crumbling down in pain, but he has more pressing issues, like curling up around Chuck right now.

 

“That hurt.” Chuck says, staring into the ceiling. “It’s going to hurt more when I give birth, huh.”

 

Raleigh props himself up on one elbow. “I’ll be right there with you when you give birth.” He promises. “You can crush my hand all you want. And if you really can’t, we can get a Cesarean.” He’s read about it, and a C-section often involves more complicates than an actual birth. Plus, if they decide to have a second baby, Chuck mostly likely will have to deliver by a Cesarean if he decides to get one for his first.

 

But he’s also read plenty about how much it hurts to give birth, especially for men. Male cats have it easy because they’re generally more flexible than other animals, but still it hurts more than female birth, which is agonizing enough.

 

Chuck just shoves his face in the crook of Raleigh’s shoulder, and Raleigh presses one of the hot water bottles to Chuck’s side to ease his cramps.

 

\--

 

At 30 weeks, Chuck can no longer hide his baby bump beneath Raleigh’s sweaters, but he can still pass under his own sheepskin jacket.

 

More importantly, Raleigh gets on his knee to propose.

 

It’s on a quiet day, when the others are at the Shatterdome. Raleigh appreciates their help, and he doesn’t think he could’ve gotten through it without them, but sometimes he needs privacy with Chuck. And he smiles up at Chuck, who’s staring down at him with huge eyes. “Marry me, Chuck?”

 

Chuck just keeps gaping at him, his jaw slack, and Raleigh rises to slide the ring onto Chuck’s left ring finger. Chuck then dives at him, tackling him into a hug, and says, “Your tail’s wagging like an idiot.”

 

Raleigh laughs, and feels his tail wag even more as Chuck hugs him tighter.

 

If the others notice the ring glinting on their fingers after that, they don’t say anything. Herc does glare at it a little more than it deserves, but he seems to have accepted that Raleigh’s family now. They don’t hold a big wedding ceremony: neither Chuck nor Raleigh wants one. They don’t even get dressed as they get officiated, sign papers with just their regular crew as witnesses, but they’re both all smiles when they come back home.

 

A week after that, they find out their little girl is a puppy. In the ultrasound, her ears are folded down like Raleigh’s, and her tail’s starting to become bushier, unlike the sleek cat’s tail. Chuck beams when he

sees the ultrasound, like he can’t quite help but hug his stomach. 

 

Their baby’s been more restless as Chuck gets closer to term, but now Chuck’s so used to it that it barely bothers him. Sometimes, if his back is hurting enough, he can’t sleep and the added kicking makes him cranky, but most of the time, with Raleigh’s hugs and Hermann’s hot water bottles, Chuck spends most of his time curled up in bed, sleeping.

 

“Is it okay that he’s so tired all the time?” Raleigh asks their doctor over the phone one day.

 

He says, [Chuck’s fine. A lot of first-time mothers, especially the male ones, get exhausted with the process. But if you want me to come in early this week, I can do that.]

 

Raleigh peeks at Chuck, passed out on the couch. Mako’s pulled a fleece over him and tucked Hermanns’ hot water bottles next to him. He looks so peaceful and content that Raleigh doesn’t really want to wake him up for nothing. “No, I think we’re okay. He doesn’t seem to be in any pain or anything.”

 

[Then he should be fine.]

 

“I’m sorry I keep bothering you.”

 

[By all means, please keep doing so. Caution is the best for pregnancies. Better safe than sorry.]

 

\--

 

“I think we should name her Angela,” Raleigh says, over dinner one day when it’s just him and Chuck and Herc. Herc and Chuck stop eating. “Unless, you know, you don’t want to. Which I can understand.”

 

“No, I think –“ Herc says, his eyes a little glassy. He clears his throat. “That sounds fine.” He glances over at Chuck. “What do you think?” Chuck just sinks down in his seat, grinning broadly, his tail swishing in low arcs. Herc chuckles and goes back to his dinner. “Angela Becket-Hansen.” He sounds fond. “Can’t wait to meet the little ankle biter.”

 

\--

 

37 weeks mean Chuck’s full term, but he’s really not that big. “I told you,” Dr. Kwok says. “First time pregnancies, this is normal. Some people don’t grow this big even after the first time. Now, your baby’s no longer considered premature, and contractions are most likely mean you’re going into actual labor.”

 

Now that they’re full term, Chuck has no more contractions, Braxton-Hicks or not. All of them wait anxiously for _something_ to happen. One night, during the 39 th week, Raleigh sidles up next to Chuck on the bed right before they sleep. “I realized we never had the conversation of if you wanted a Cesarean or not.”

 

Chuck shrugs. “I decided to go for it. If other people can do it, no reason I can’t. Leaves us with more choices later, if.. we decide to give Angela a little sibling. Plus, a Cesarean would require us to go to a hospital and I’d rather just give birth at home.”

 

Raleigh smiles and Chuck teases him for his wagging tail again. They sleep tangled up in each other, Raleigh carefully cupping Chuck’s stomach, and smiling when Chuck’s tail flicks upward to curl around his wrist.

 

Raleigh’s shaken up from whatever he was dreaming about by Chuck. He opens his eyes blearily, looks at the clock to see it reads 4:11 and sits up. “Hey.” He tries to rub the sleep out of his eyes. “What’s up? You want something to eat?”

 

Chuck glares. “No.” He grips Raleigh’s arm and grits his teeth. “ _My water just broke_.”

 

\--

 

The following hours are mostly a blur. It involves a lot of yelling as Raleigh shoots up from the bed, and wakes up everyone else in the house. Tendo’s the first to call the doctor, Mako starts preparing as best as she can, Herman’s trying to juggle an impossible amount of hot water bottles, Herc rushes over to his son’s side, and Newt flails about.

 

Raleigh remembers Chuck moaning, gritting out pain as contractions hit him stronger, more frequently, remembers the doctor rushing through the door, doing prep work. For the first few hours there’s a lot of noise going on, Chuck bearing through the easier parts of labor with Raleigh stuck to his side like glue.

 

After that, Raleigh remembers even less. He remembers others being rushed out of the room, remembers Chuck biting down on his shoulder enough to make him bleed, remembers “This is the hardest bit, but it’s going to be over soon, Chuck,” and then remembers Chuck biting him on the other shoulder.

 

There’s also a lot of “Not yet, not yet,” and “Hold him, Raleigh,” and “Chuck, just a little more.”

 

There’s Chuck whimpering into his ear, clutching so hard at him that he must be leaving bruises everywhere he grabs. He wails, low and desperate, and then there’s a whole new sound in the air.

“Raleigh.” Their doctor pulls off his mask, and grins at him as Chuck collapses bonelessly onto the pillows. Raleigh doesn’t let Chuck’s hand go, but he rises, mutely. The doctor gently dabs at the bundle in his hands and then hands it to Raleigh.

 

Raleigh doesn’t have words to express what he’s feeling. Angela is wailing at the top of her lungs as Raleigh brings her back to Chuck. Chuck is soundless, his eyes wide as Raleigh tucks the baby into his arms. The doctor says nothing, just silently works to finish up. “She looks like you,” Chuck finally says.

 

Angela’s got a mop of Raleigh’s blonde hair and his golden ears and tail (she’s _definitely_ a dog), but now that she’s finally stopped crying, she blinks up at her parents and she’s got Chuck’s green eyes. Raleigh whispers, “She’s so tiny. Is she supposed to be like that?”

 

“Yes.” The doctor says, and Raleigh flinches because he’s momentarily forgotten about the man. “She’s perfectly normal, I promise. She’ll grow big soon. I’m going to let you three bond, but before that I’m going to check Chuck over, all right?” Chuck nods, his gaze still locked onto Angela. He does wince when the doctor presses down on his abdomen. “You’re going to be sore and weak for some time, Chuck. You can go around and do your thing, but first-time births tend to be a little hard on male mothers, so take it easy for a while. I’m sure you’re hungry, though. I’ll let the others know.”

 

The doctor slips out after that. The sheets below Chuck are soaked from when his water broke, but other than that, the set up the doctor had kept the rest of the blood and whatnot getting on the sheets. Raleigh eases Chuck to his side so he’s lying on clean sheets, and watches Angela suckle. “She’s beautiful.”

 

“You’re narcissistic.” Chuck snickers. He looks exhausted, but he’s radiant. “She looks exactly like you.” 


End file.
